An innovative new program to recruit substitute teachers for New Mexico public schools has recently received a lot of national attention, as it should. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Teacher and Family Support Initiative uses volunteers from the National Guard and state agencies to keep our schools open for the in-person learning our educators, children and families need to s flourish.

We are deeply indebted to these National Guard members, state employees, and community members who stepped up to help support our educators and students during this difficult time. But we also know that these surrogates cannot replace the expertise and training of New Mexico educators, and our state needs more of these dedicated professionals.

Many people want to answer the call to teach, but society has not made it easy for them. College students often have to weigh tens of thousands of dollars in student loans against the potential rewards. For too long, this ladder has not tipped in favor of careers in education, ultimately contributing to a national teacher workforce crisis.

In New Mexico, although we succeeded in reducing teacher vacancies by almost 25% in 2019 by increasing salaries, eliminating a hated standardized test and instituting a new system for evaluating educators, the number teacher vacancies almost doubled between the 2020-2021 school year and this school. year. We must use all the tools in our toolbox to help more teachers enter and stay in this essential profession.

But there is good news. Under the leadership of Governor Lujan Grisham, New Mexico’s three education agencies are working together to strengthen our teacher pipeline, support our valued educators, and address the pressing need to recruit more qualified teachers.

Raising educator salaries is an important step in ensuring that teachers feel valued for their expertise, hard work and the essential role they play in the lives of our children.

The Governor’s proposed 7% wage increase for all K-12 public school educators is a big step in the right direction, as is his proposal to raise minimum wages by $10,000 for the three levels of education at $50,000, $60,000 and $70,000. These measures will make our state competitive with our neighboring states, attracting more of the profession and attracting more to our state.

We are also opening up new avenues for becoming a teacher in New Mexico. At the state level, our plan is to provide additional support for the teacher scholarship program and teacher residences. The Educator Scholarship Program provides resources to districts and state charter schools to help recruit and retain teaching assistants and put them into the pipeline to become full-fledged teachers. Teacher residences help pay college education majors to gain experience working in needy districts.

The New Mexico Department of Higher Education works alongside other state education agencies to support current and future teachers at all levels and to recruit and retain teachers from multilingual and multicultural backgrounds. We are investing $10 million in fiscal year 2023 in the Affordability for Teacher Preparation Scholarship and Teacher Loan Repayment programs, which have helped nearly 3,000 New Mexico teachers in course of the past year.

Governor Lujan Grisham’s plan to make free college a reality for all New Mexicans will also go a long way to ensuring that New Mexicans can choose to pursue an education without having to worry about having their tuition reimbursed. debts as they begin their careers. This will go a long way to ensuring that qualified and motivated educators can continue to work and live in their communities.

The Department of Early Childhood Education and Care pays 100% of tuition and books and provides mentorship to early childhood professionals seeking advanced degrees and certifications at universities across the state, creating a pipeline to place highly qualified teachers in the classrooms with our youngest learners. The ECECD also works to ensure that early childhood professionals reflect New Mexico’s diversity, investing in the recruitment of bilingual and Indigenous educators and providing incentive awards for child care professionals. children who obtain bilingual certifications.

The children of New Mexico deserve the best education we can give them, and educators deserve every opportunity to do so. These strategic and collaborative investments will put us on the path to making both of these things possible. We urge the state legislature to support these proposals.

In her new role in the Office of International Student Affairs, Amy Rinaldo will work with international students to help them celebrate their multilingual community, develop their English skills, and foster their academic and professional growth.

Rinaldo took the post of associate director of English language learning on January 10, seven months after the departure of his predecessor Jeremy Heflin. Rinaldo, who served as Associate Director of English Language Programs at Brandeis University for seven years, will be the primary advisor for English language support for international students.

“I’m looking at some of the different courses we offer and how we might want to improve them a bit for next fall. I plan to offer other programs to international students to facilitate part of their linguistic and social development.

“It’s a bit of everything,” she said. “Trying to be really comprehensive and holistic in how we can support students.”

According to Andrea Popa, Director of International Student Affairs, Rinaldo proved to be an ideal candidate during the hiring process due to his extensive education background and cross-cultural experience abroad.

“We were specifically looking for not just someone with an academic background, but someone who could demonstrate a connection to other cultures,” Popa said.

Rinaldo graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in art history, before moving to Suzhou, China to teach English at an elementary school. During her year-long stay, she said she suffered “culture shock”, but was held there by her love of teaching.

“Every time I walked into my class, I couldn’t be in a bad mood,” Rinaldo said. “I was having a stressful day – maybe a ‘cultural’ interaction on the way to work – and then I walked into my classroom. Even if I was nervous, depressed or homesick, as soon as I was with students, everything went away.

Although her professional career has taken a different turn than expected – shifting from an interest in art history to linguistics and language acquisition – Rinaldo remains passionate about liberal arts pedagogy.

“I’ve always been very interested in the arts,” she says. “So being able to work in an environment with students who are in these communication majors, I found that I was really interested in working with this student population.”

Rinaldo said she was particularly interested in how international students fit into Emerson’s program to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, noting the college’s efforts to diversify its curriculum.

“I find a lot of schools welcome international students, but there’s kind of an unspoken responsibility for international students to assimilate,” she said. “If we think about real globalization, real internationalization, it should come from both sides.”

The Telangana government’s decision to introduce English in all public schools in the state from the 2022-23 school year has sparked a debate on whether the move is practical and whether it will really benefit children. students.

While the cabinet’s decision was widely welcomed, all stakeholders are still waiting for the government to set guidelines to implement the decision.

The state cabinet at its January 18 meeting decided to introduce English in all public schools. He constituted an 11-member sub-committee headed by Education Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy to prepare the modalities for it. Members include the Minister of Information Technology and Industry, KT Rama Rao.

Telangana apparently took inspiration from neighboring Andhra Pradesh which made English education compulsory from primary to high school. The Andhra Pradesh High Court however overturned the order in April 2020 and the state government challenged the order in the Supreme Court.

Unlike Andhra Pradesh where the decision to introduce English media has drawn a strong backlash from opposition parties and various groups who have branded it an attempt to suppress the Telugu language and culture, Telangana is less likely to see a similar situation. However, students, parents and academics are all waiting to see the guidelines to be developed to implement the decision.

Some sections question this decision on practicality grounds, an apparent reference to the lack of sufficient numbers of English teachers in public schools, especially in rural areas.

Unlike its Telugu twin state, Telangana is unlikely to replace Telugu medium schools with English medium schools. Education department sources have hinted that state schools may have both English and Telugu mediums. It will be up to parents to decide what media they want for their children.

Public sector English medium schools will not be entirely new to Telangana, as the state already has around 3,000 public schools with English as the language of instruction. There are about 20 lakh students studying in 26,065 public schools in the state

An official pointed out that the decision to introduce English in public schools is in line with the state government’s emphasis on creating better job opportunities in a knowledge-based economy. “There is a growing realization that students who have studied in Telugu middle schools are lagging behind in the skills required for new jobs in several sectors, especially those related to emerging technologies,” he said. declared.

The state already operates the Telangana Academy of Knowledge and Skills (TASK) in partnership with the business sector to impart necessary skills to students leaving public educational institutions. Lack of communication in English is seen as a major barrier to these students acquiring new skills and preparing them for employment.

Another factor that may have led to the decision is the increase in student enrollment in English-language public schools, particularly after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The closure of several low-budget English schools due to the pandemic has increased demand for state schools. Falling parental incomes under the impact of the pandemic have also forced them to send their wards to public schools.

“English is an acclaimed language in many countries of the world. Government of Telangana has indeed come out with a wonderful idea to provide education to students in English. We will definitely create more competitive Indians which will help Telangana and India on the global front,” said Sunir Nagi, Principal of Pallavi Model School, Alwal and Treasurer of Sahodaya Complex of Hyderabad Schools (CBSE).

The National Backward Classes Welfare Association (NBCWA) welcomed the government’s decision. NBCWA President R. Krishnaiah opines that introducing English language of instruction in 26,000 public schools would benefit about 15 lakh SC, ST, BC and minority students, who otherwise, were unable to pursue an education in English in private schools.

He pointed out that many poor families ended up in debt, disposing of small properties to educate their children in English in private schools. “The government’s decision would help these families get their children educated in English,” he said.

“It’s a choice between the devil and the deep sea, as a great deal of research on early childhood learning clearly shows that children benefit from studying in their native language, but the initial benefits will only be sustained if children continue to learn and work with the mother language as it happens in Europe, China, Japan or any English speaking country Unfortunately in any of the Indian languages ​​including Hindi we have no developed a language to take care of higher education and work We have no vocabulary to handle engineering or medical professions So when a student switches to the English language for these purposes, he takes away all the benefits of early education in the vernacular,” said Ramakrishna Reddy, Founder and Principal of Manthan International School.

Does this mean that learning English from an early age is the solution? “Not necessarily, because language learning involves creating the whole rich linguistic environment of listening and speaking in the language before a child can learn to read and write. For the majority of students who study in public schools, this is not possible either at home or in school. English teachers alone will not suffice for the purpose, even if they are good. The training of teachers of English subjects is another great challenge, which can be overcome but only with huge investment and sustained attention Language labs, libraries with good storybooks and audio-video resources will be needed to get children comfortable with a language do we have the will and the resources?” he asked.

Many believe that a hybrid approach will be best. “Research has shown that for children under 10, it is fine if they learn in their mother tongue. However, I can understand the intention of the government, as parents are fond of English, as all the jobs are only available in English so a hybrid approach is Up to class 5 let the medium be Telugu with English as a second language and after class 5 the teaching medium can be English,” said Dinesh Victor, MD of SIP Academy, India’s largest children’s skills development organization.

SIP Academy director Sarala believes that rural school children would find it difficult to study in English and even finding a teacher locally would be difficult.

“It could be offered as an additional option for children and parents, as it is more futuristic. Only fear that it may not lead to more school drop-outs at primary level. However, teaching in English from upper secondary would help build their confidence,” she said.

New app alert: all OTT apps and release dates under one app

Warangal: It seems that the state government’s push for English language learning in public schools starting next school year is not so easy, but passable. The Hans India spoke to a cross section of people including teachers, parents and students to ask them about the government’s initiative.

In the wake of English being the widely used language in the corporate world, language has become one of the most important employability skills that no one opposes. Although the government’s decision to introduce legislation to introduce English as a language of instruction, it has to overcome initial setbacks, particularly with regard to the capacities of teaching staff who, on the whole, lack skills to teach in English.

Kakatiya University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Thatikonda Ramesh, said: “This is a well-considered decision by the state government. Infusing English from primary education will do students a lot of good. English should not become an obstacle to their career. . According to a study, more than 90% of young people who have completed their studies cannot speak English. As a result, a majority of students, despite their academic talent, flounder in their careers. Indeed, a bitter truth to digest. Prof Ramesh said any reform-minded decision will have its own set of issues before it is put into practice and the government will surely address them appropriately.

ZPHS government teacher, Kadipikonda under Kazipet mandal, BV Rajagopal, who welcomed the decision of the state government, said, “Changing the language of instruction to English is not so easy, however, with planning and appropriate implementation. Hopefully the government was thinking about these lines. . Above all, the state must tackle the language barrier of teachers. At least 90% of the teachers are from a Telugu background; therefore, they need training and orientation courses to improve their English skills. »

At the same time, the government should give preference to the mother tongue, Telugu, which shapes the development of a student’s personality, besides changing the thought process in him. In fact, the Kothari Commission also recommended regional/mother tongues as the first language, Rajagopal said.

“We are going in the right direction to help students, especially those who come from rural areas. A majority of parents prefer private schools that provide education in English. Although we have competent and dedicated teachers, people do not prefer not public schools just because they want their halls to be industry-ready, especially with communication skills,” said Manganuri Murali, Senior Photographer at Hanumakonda.

“Better late than never. Finally, the government has realized the importance of knowing English. This will solve the problem of communication skills faced by young people,” said A Damodar Reddy, an employee of the private sector.

Is this the year you decide to change industries, broaden your horizons and climb the professional ladder?

Whatever the reason for your MBA, as the application deadlines are fast approaching, the New Year is a great time to move forward with your application.

As you prepare to dive into the 2022 MBA application process, here are 10 New Year’s Resolution ideas for you.

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1. Redefine your goals

Still don’t know what you want out of business school? Before embarking on your MBA application journey, you need to determine exactly what you want to get out of an MBA.

What type of structure – online, part-time, full-time – would suit you best? In which sector do you want to get started or evolve? What are your job and salary expectations?

This will help you narrow down your options and make your story clear to the admissions team when you submit your application.

To learn more about your post-MBA career options at top business schools, check out our MBA job postings and salary reviews!

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2. Do more research

Don’t be lazy with your research. Once you determine what you want, you will be able to find the program that matches your goals.

Take a look at all aspects of an MBA – class size, electives, internships, school industrial relations, networking opportunities, and more.

Don’t just apply for a bunch of programs and hope for the best. Admissions teams can usually spot well-suited applications and those that are generic.

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3. Be organized

Now is the time to improve your organizational skills. The MBA application process is long and complicated, so you need to be strategic.

Check deadlines, plan ahead, allow plenty of time to complete each task, and be sure to proofread everything. It’s also a good idea to allow a few extra days for a trusted friend or colleague to take a look at your resume, essays, and personal statement.

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Read: How can MBA applicants get ahead this holiday season?

© Bogdan Kurylo / iStock

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4. Start your preparation for GMAT

If you haven’t started preparing for the test, now is the time. Whether you take the GMAT or the GRE, you will need to practice.

Sign up for GMAT preparation courses if you feel the need to, familiarize yourself with the content and structure of the tests, and don’t despair if you struggle at first.

Preparing for tests is a time consuming task, so try to create a schedule that breaks it down into smaller tasks. Don’t be tempted to burden yourself!

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5. Take the time to think

While it can be tempting to get rid of the app as quickly as possible, there are some parts that you can’t rush.

Your MBA application essay should be thoughtful, and the best essays are the product of true self-reflection. So take your time with it.

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6. Take more initiative at work

Work experience is a key part of the MBA application. Even if you don’t work in a leadership or management role, there are still opportunities for you to be proactive by taking on additional projects and presenting new ideas.

Admissions teams want to see how you’ve demonstrated leadership, so find ways to stand out in your organization.

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7. Explore more extracurricular activities

Business schools want to know how you are going to contribute to the community beyond academic excellence and work experience.

Use the New Year to create a full application by volunteering, strengthening your language skills, or exploring your creative side. When writing your application, be sure to explain how these experiences will enrich your cohort.

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8. Build your personal brand

Personal branding is how you can differentiate yourself from other highly qualified candidates.

This month, create a resume that showcases your accomplishments, skills, and interests as part of a bigger whole.

If there is a cause that is particularly close to your heart, make sure it is also included in your application.

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Read: How to Pass Your MBA Essay and Promote Your Personal Brand © undrey / iStock

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9. Develop your network

Hiding behind emails? Make sure you take the next step this year to expand your network before you apply to a business school.

Engage in dialogue with alumni, current students, and faculty as much as possible throughout your application. They will be happy to share tips and talk about their own experience.

Remember to also strengthen your existing network and contact potential MBA recommenders well in advance.

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10. Create a plan B

It is possible that your original plan will fail, so make sure you have a backup. It will make things less stressful for you as you readjust.

If you are planning to go to business school this year, consider applying to a “security” school where you have a very high chance of being admitted.

If you would prefer to apply again next year after a potential rejection, have a few steps in mind to grow in the meantime and make sure you are a more competitive candidate next year.

Having a Plan B is important, but hopefully you don’t need it. If you keep your New Years Resolutions, 2022 should be a successful year!

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Are you considering an MBA this year?

Download our MBA 2022 application guide

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Just going to school in Afghanistan posed a danger to cousins ​​Mohammad Wali, 12, and Mohammad Idrees, 14.

The Taliban used violence and threats to keep cousins ​​and their classmates away from school. Bombs were once planted around their school, and family members had been kidnapped and even killed for their efforts to transport the students.

The family moved from a rural area to a town in Logar province, near the capital Kabul, in an attempt to escape the violence. But when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August, the family could no longer risk staying.

The cousins ​​and their uncle, Mohammad Sadiq, fled Afghanistan and eventually made their way to Omaha, where Wali and Idrees are among more than 40 Afghan students in Omaha public schools.

Here they adapt to a new reality. No longer in constant danger or exposed to severe discipline in school, they learn to navigate the state’s largest district without knowing the English language.

A few Afghan students have enrolled in other districts, but the majority have so far been placed in PAHO, said Mohammad Sahil, education and training supervisor for Lutheran Family Services, one of the two resettlement agencies that place people in Omaha.

He expects the Omaha region to receive an additional 300 to 400 students as more evacuees reach Nebraska from US military bases across the country.

Wali, 12, arrived in Omaha almost three months ago, and his cousin and uncle arrived in mid-November. The three of them live in an apartment northwest of Omaha with another person from their Afghan neighborhood.

Families typically spend a month in an Airbnb before being placed in a permanent residence in Omaha, Sahil said. Children are not allowed to enroll in school until they have a permanent address.

“Parents are actually calling to register their children as soon as possible,” Sahil said. “They are bored at home. Children tell their moms and dads that they want to go to school.

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Resettlement agencies work to find housing and services for Afghan refugees arriving in Lincoln

Students come with varying backgrounds, and generally speak little or no English.

Sahil said one of his clients had a teenage son who had never gone to school in Afghanistan but had to attend an OPS high school because of his age.

“His father was like, ‘Can we put him in a primary?’” Sahil said. “And I said no, it’s not possible. I don’t blame him, but there is help for him in high school, so I’m sure he will learn English very soon.

OPS offers services to help refugee students acclimatize to an American education, said Jaimie Cogua, English, Dual Language, Migrant and Refugee Education Coordinator.

The district had 2,581 refugee students in the 2020-21 school year, but Cogua said she expects that number to continue to rise as more evacuees arrive.

Each student who registers responds to a survey to identify their needs. If necessary, the student will be enrolled in English learner classes and receive support from these teachers while getting used to their new school.

“Often the teacher (English learner) will do a general orientation at school to show them where the toilets are, or provide them with key survival phrases,” Cogua said.

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Students learn things such as asking to use the toilet, getting a pencil, or getting something to drink.

It’s the kinds of things that “anyone might need to know if they’re new to a place,” Cogua said.

The sentences are also part of the English language learning program at Bennington public schools, said Lisa Schonhoff, the district’s English language teacher.

She is the only English learning teacher for the district, but also works with two paraprofessionals. The district is looking to hire two more teachers due to an increased need for services.

The number of students learning English in the Bennington District has increased from 12 in 2017 to 58 this year, she said. Only one of these students is a recent Afghan evacuee.

Most of the staff learning English do not know the language spoken by their students. There are over 10 languages ​​spoken in Bennington. At OPS, that number exceeds 100.

Schonhoff said she mainly teaches phonemically, which means teaching words based on their sounds. She also teaches English using visuals, like taking a picture of a classroom and having her students label everything in the room.

Schonhoff said that it takes about a year for a student learning English to be comfortable speaking openly in English with other people. A typical student will use the services for four years before leaving the program.

“I had a kindergarten child from Afghanistan, and he came with me until grade three, and he will be leaving my program this year,” Schonhoff said. “He’s where he needs to be. It’s amazing to see the progress they are making.

In OPS, Afghan evacuees, along with other refugee students, are usually paired with another student who can speak their language to make it easier to navigate the school, Cogua said.

The district also has a Teen Literacy Center, a program for high school students with previous interrupted or limited education.

The OPS is still looking to hire a bilingual liaison officer who speaks Pashto or Dari, the two languages ​​commonly spoken in Afghanistan.

For now, the district is contracting with Sahil, who helps students enroll in school, acclimatize to the classroom and take English classes. He even helps them with their homework at night.

Before evacuees arrived in the Omaha metropolitan area, Sahil created a guide for school administrators and teachers on Afghan culture, he said.

“Basically if you are a teacher working with an Afghan student this is what you need to know,” he said.

Sahil said, for example, that Afghan women do not make eye contact or shake hands with a man. A younger person will also not make eye contact with an older person.

“We were just saying (to teachers) that if someone doesn’t look you in the eye, it doesn’t mean you’re being ignored, but it’s just part of the culture,” he said.

The school in Afghanistan is also offered in three short shifts instead of all day long like in the United States

Idrees and Wali said they were grateful for many of the differences between their Afghan and American upbringing. The cousins ​​spoke with a journalist through Sahil, who acted as an interpreter.

Idrees, who is in eighth grade at Davis Middle School near 132nd and State Streets, said he and his cousin like it, they can spend the whole day in school rather than a few hours.

He also enjoys reading books and writing short stories. Wali, a sixth-grader at Davis Middle School, enjoys making art with materials like pencils and Play-Doh.

Wali and Idrees both said they were also grateful that they were no longer exposed to corporal punishment at school.

In Afghanistan, if a student was late, disobeyed, or couldn’t understand a lesson, they could be hit with a stick, Sahil said.

For Wali, one of the worst aspects of life and school in Omaha is the absence of his parents, he said. He cries often at night after talking to them on the phone.

Wali and Idrees’ parents are still in Afghanistan, and Sahil said he is unsure if they will ever be able to come to the United States.

“It’s a little emotional now because I can’t imagine it,” Sahil said.

Sadiq, who is now Idrees and Wali’s sole guardian, said that while he is happy to be safe in Nebraska, he is constantly concerned for the safety of the rest of his family in Afghanistan.

Sahil’s own family members are also still in Afghanistan, and he hasn’t seen them for several years, he said.

“All of our families are there. We are still waiting to see what happens, ”Sahil said. “Just wait and try. But there is nothing we can do.

A North Star graduate and her Yazidi family fled ISIS. Now she advocates for girls and education nationally.

A primary school in Pen LlÅ·n will close its doors for good on Wednesday.

Ysgol Abersoch in the village of Abersoch has been a refuge for students aged three to eight for almost a century.

However, after 97 years, the school had to say goodbye to its seven students following a Gwynedd council vote to move forward with its closure.

The school’s future was unsustainable due to funding and a shortage of students, largely due “to years of immigration and the use of so many second homes,” the council said.

It was announced that the school would be closed by the end of the term.

Read more: Back to school start in January delayed in Wales due to Omicron fears

Ysgol Abersoch principal Linda Jones said she felt emotional on the last day of school, which she described as “difficult”.

“It is hard to believe that this is actually happening and that there will be no more children here after today,” she told WalesOnline.

Linda has been the principal of the school for almost five years. Having been a student at Ysgol Abersoch herself, she said that becoming the principal of the school was a “dream come true”.

“I have so many fond memories of coming here as a student,” she explained.

“Drinking milk from glass bottles, painting on Friday afternoons, playing outside in the field – there were two tree trunks and there was a hole in one and you could fit through. 30 students at the time.

“My dream has always been to become a manager. I taught at nearby Ysgol Chwilog for almost 25 years when a temporary job as principal of this school arose. principal of this school.

“I felt like I was living the dream and being able to come back to Abersoch was the icing on the cake.”

The small wooden school, located in the heart of the village, was three years away from celebrating its 100th anniversary.

In September of this year, the council’s decision to close the Welsh language school was reviewed by a key council committee. Concerns were expressed by the local community, who had been campaigning to keep it open, alongside language activists fearing its impact on Welsh culture in the popular seaside village.

The school educates children until the end of the third school year, before moving to Ysgol Sarn Bach, located 2.2 km away.

Decision markers pointed out that no major increase in pupil numbers meant the future of the school had been ‘vulnerable for some time’, costing the authority £ 17,404 per pupil compared to the average County from £ 4,198.

In early December, the school’s principals decided to resign en masse after refusing to allow staff layoffs, calling it a “last insult” to a council that had fiercely opposed the school’s closure.

Governing Chairman Margot Jones called the school’s closure “heartbreaking.”

“I see enormous value in a small village school, especially in a community like Abersoch,” she explained.

“It’s a wonderful advertisement and an ambassador of the Welsh language. What remains of the community after this could only serve tourists and we have fought so hard against that for so long.

“All of our suggestions and ideas for developing the school were ignored. This school was there to educate people who have a sense of belonging to the area and who cannot be replicated.

“The council has turned its back on us.

“I am absolutely devastated and I can’t believe this is happening. It is definitely not in the best interests of the children and I feel like it was all for naught – our voices have gone. been ignored. “

Parent Awen Jones, whose three sons went to school, agrees.

“I am disappointed because I feel like we are the only people who have tried to keep this school open and the Welsh language alive,” she said.

“I felt really lonely sometimes and it’s so sad to come to this.

“As parents we have a good community here – we all get along and depend on each other to support us. My four year old son Bobby has been crying all day – he doesn’t understand why school closed.

“It’s up to us now to keep this community alive.”

On December 17, Ysgol Abersoch organized an open day to mark the last days of school. Former students and parents were invited to share their memories of the place.

For Linda Jones, the closure will have a profound effect not only on those with a connection to the school, but on the community as a whole.

She said: “We have a tight-knit family community here at school. Everyone knows each other, it’s like a big extended family and the children almost become like your own children.

“I can’t even imagine what this closure will mean for the rest of the community, especially the Welsh language. We campaigned so much for the Welsh language because there is a lot of English here. a precious gem for the Welsh Language.

“The community I grew up in was very different from the community we have today, but the school was where the root of the language remained. We have families here of Russian, Iraqi descent. and Czech – they can also speak different languages ​​besides Welsh and English.

“The school motto is ‘Hwylio i’r Dyfodol’, which means ‘sail into the future’ – there is a bittersweet irony with what is happening today. I hope people don’t ‘will never forget the deep roots of this school in the community, further It is woven into the good memories we have, the language we speak and the lessons we have learned.

“Wherever these kids are in the future, I hope they take it all with them, as I did too.”

Gwynedd Council has said considering the future of any school in the county is a “difficult decision.”

A spokesperson said: “The Council, as an education authority, has a duty to ensure that we provide the best education and experiences possible as well as the best learning environment for all children in the county. .

“A number of meetings have been held with representatives from Ysgol Abersoch in order to address a range of concerns regarding the school and possible options for future education in the region.

“The review of Ysgol Abersoch’s situation was not part of a broader strategy for education in the region, but rather a response to a particular concern about the challenges facing the school, particularly the weak number of students, projections, high percentage of excess places, small class size and large age range within classes.

“Following statutory consultation and careful consideration of all comments presented, it was decided to close Ysgol Abersoch on December 31 and offer places to students at Ysgol Sarn Bach.”

For the latest updates via email from WalesOnline, click here

Community Advocate staff covered a discussion at a recent board meeting and several topics from recent school committee meetings that I haven’t had the opportunity to cover. Here are the highlights and links.

For the first story, I add a context that was not included in the weekly article.

Request from residents of Chestnut Hill Road

Chestnut Hill residents want sections of road closed to traffic

Earlier this month, I wrote about the planned discussion between the residents of Chestnut Hill Road and the Select Board on the petition to close the one-way section of the road. I didn’t have time to write a follow-up story, but the board did.

Ultimately, the Council was not persuaded to take action, but is ready to consider the request. First, residents should address the concerns of the fire chief and assess how much it would cost to resolve the issues:

If portions of the road are closed to through traffic, [Fire Chief Steven Achilles] said the fire department would need an appropriately sized dead end or turnaround for fire apparatus at the point of closure at both ends.

During the meeting, the fire chief noted that fire trucks must have the ability to turn around on dead-end roads.

“It’s not practical to back down on Main Street,” he added.

Beals mentioned that there is a parking lot in front of where he lives as a potential place to turn. If pavement improvements are made, rather than closing, it would only increase the speed of vehicles, he said.

Braccio asked where the fire apparatus would turn when the parking lot contains cars.

Board member Martin Healey said he was against the proposal and residents had not made a “compelling argument” about the need for a closure.

Beals and other residents said the road is dangerous for pedestrians, children getting off school buses, cyclists and people walking dogs as well as people pushing strollers. In addition, vehicles sometimes roll in the wrong direction on the road, which creates a danger for other cars.

Beals said the board should “welcome the opportunity to avoid serious accidents and prevent collisions from happening.”

Resident Brian Dugdale noted that finding an engineering solution for the turnaround was doable. (Read more)

It is worth adding that it was not in the story. . This summer, the Select Board discussed a similar potential plan for Northborough Road – a road closed to road traffic but open to passive recreation.

When discussing the potential closure of Chestnut Hill Road, residents and officials seemed to assume that Northborough Road Culvert will be repaired and the road reopened as an alternative route. The crossing road has been closed since late spring when the culvert was deemed unsafe for vehicles to continue to use.

Residents of Chestnut Hill Road filed a petition in September (which started in May) to transform a section of their road into a paved passive recreation area. A month earlier, Superintendent of Public Works, Karen Galligan, presented council with the concept of converting Northborough Road into a paved passive recreation area.

In August, Galligan argued that money could be saved on repairs to the deteriorated culvert by converting it to a creek bed, creating two dead end roads. Some Council members expressed support for the concept. The idea was floated to create a walkway instead of one to support cars and trucks. Council asked Karen to clarify what would be the difference in cost between a full repair and the alternative. There has been no record of this update in public meetings since.

An item to fund work on Northborough Road was proposed for inclusion in the town’s special meeting mandate earlier this fall. The updated details were apparently not available at the time of the selection committee’s discussions and they were ultimately removed from the list. The concept was not raised during the November 3 discussion on Chestnut Hill Road.

At the November 16 council meeting, city administrator Mark Purple told council that State Senator Jamie Eldrige has earmarked $ 70,000 from the state’s ARPA funds for repairs. culverts. This was not yet included in the House version. Since then, the state congress failed to reconcile the House and Senate versions before their long break. (Even though the assignment is part of the version that eventually passes, reserved funds do not always translate into real funding.)

School updates

The following stories relate to all schools in Southborough and / or Algonquin.

Northborough / Southborough school official recommends no flexible masking until January 15

Although Algonquin is one of the few schools with an 80% vaccination rate that allows face masks to be opted out, District Welfare Director Mary Ellen Duggan advocates keeping students masked during the holidays. She recommends reassessing the situation two weeks after the December recess, when the state’s mask tenure could end:

The school community at Algonquin Regional High School may continue to go into hiding until at least January, following a recent recommendation from district staff.

This despite an unsuccessful motion during a meeting of the regional school committee on November 17 by member Daniel Kolenda to immediately remove the masks. . .

Although other members of the regional school committee voted against the motion, some committee members expressed support for the removal of masks at later dates or for the adoption of policies similar to those of Hopkinton High School, which has implemented its own flexible masking model. . .

As Duggan proposed [her] recommendation, the medical advisory team had only recently discussed the details of a masking release for Algonquin.

The team decided on three criteria they want the school to meet, including vaccination rates of over 80%, a stable or decreasing number of cases at school, and low to moderate community transmission rates such as: as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 88 percent of Algonquin students are fully immunized.

Duggan said on November 17 that there had been two cases of COVID-19 in the past four weeks in Algonquin. That included three weeks with zero cases before two appeared last week. Duggan called these figures “spectacular”.

They come in a year that has seen 58 cases in total in high school.

Community transmission rates, however, continue to be a sticking point.

“The number of cases in Southborough has been really high over the past two weeks,” Duggan said on November 17. (Read more)

School committee discusses process after study group narrows down Algonquin mascot roster

The mask policy was not the only subject on which Kolenda disagreed with her colleagues. He again advocated reconsidering retaining the Tomahawk as a mascot. According to the newspaper, two former students of the school also tried to convince the administration.

Regional school committee member Daniel Kolenda recently asked if there was a desire for voices who want to keep the Algonquin Regional High School mascot “Tomahawk” in meetings of a study group that is currently working to reduce the options to replace the mascot

“I would say they were told we rejected the Tomahawks,” replied Paul Butka, another member of the school committee. “If they were talking about the Tomahawk, they would be wasting time. We told them it was gone.

This exchange took place at a recent school committee meeting on November 17, as principals continued to discuss the mascot and its proposed replacement. (Read more)

As I previously shared, the Mascot Study Group released a poll asking for comment on 9 choices to be reduced before the students vote on the replacement. The article indicates that by the date of the meeting, they had already received nearly 1,400 responses. The group was scheduled to review the comments on Monday. So expect an update soon.

Faced with food shortages, Northborough / Southborough school administrators praise staff creativity

The article describes the district’s challenges with shortages of food and truck drivers to deliver it:

In the face of food shortages, food service staff at Northborough and Southborough Public Schools have rolled up their sleeves to get creative.

“We had a few challenges and certainly these are a lot of well-known national issues and they are coming to the boroughs,” Deputy Superintendent of Operations Keith Lavoie said at a Northborough School Board meeting on November 3. . “We are not exempt from these things.” (Read more)

Neary School in Southborough Launches New World Languages ​​Program

The article describes the World Languages ​​program as taught in Neary’s 4th and 5th grade classes. Students are introduced to Spanish and French twice a week. The concept was introduced by a parent in 2018 and explored further by a study group led by Neary’s director Kathleen Valenti. The budget for hiring a dedicated teacher has been set up for this school year:

Valverde Collado, originally from Madrid, was then hired as part of a new partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Preschool and Secondary Education and the Education Department of the Spanish Consulate. . .

Valenti described the program as a foreign language exploration program.

“It really creates a solid foundation and a starting point for our students as they transition to foreign language programs at Trottier. [Middle School]”said Valenti.

Valenti said the program is less about language acquisition and more about exposing students to other cultures and countries.

“They explore other cultures and countries, learn about music, traditions, languages ​​and ways of life,” said Valenti. (Read more)

Northborough and Southborough schools deploy bus tracking app

Northborough and Southborough Public Schools have launched an app where parents can track their child’s bus.

The app, titled “Where’s My Kid,” uses GPS technology to track a student’s bus. (Read more)

Tagged as: chestnut-hill-road, road-safety-concerns, mascot-tomahawk